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Parks

The State Parks and State Forest Lands in South Walton are spectacular. Protected lands make up about 40% of the land south of the bay.

We are so blessed to have such treasure all around us. The lakes, bayous, creeks, forests, dunes and beaches in our parks make SoWal a very special place. Incredible landscapes with coastal dune lakes, lake outfalls kissing the Gulf, flowering dune magnolias, soaring pelicans, dancing dolphins, flower-covered dunes - the wonders of coastal nature are everywhere you turn.

The Friends of Eden and Florida State Parks pay tribute to the Camellia Saturday, Feb. 17th from 10am to 2 pm at Eden Gardens State Park in Point Washington, North of US 98 via CR-395.

Visitors are invited to stroll through amazing Camellias, enjoy a Camellia floral arrangement demonstration, learn air layering, (a Camellia propagating technique), and Camellia waxing for bloom preservation. Attend a program on Camellia care and other plant related topics by Marie Harrison, a Master Gardener and author of numerous Gardening Books.

Join Topsail Hill Preserve State Park for a Topsail Talks Educational Discovery Series on Friday, Feb. 9 from 10 to 11 a.m. South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) will discuss the seahorse reef installed at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. The snorkel reefs are close enough to the shore that they can be reached by kayak or paddle board, so snorkelers or divers can access them from the beach

Trade in your worries and turn on to the splendor of SoWal's great outdoors, with some Florida history to boot. Just a bit north of the beach, Eden Gardens State Park is nestled in the woods of Point Washington, along the shores of Tucker Bayou and the Choctawhatchee Bay. It's the ideal spot to relax and have family fun.

Walton County Coastal Dune Lake Advisory Board is hosting Coastal Dune Lake Day at Grayton Beach State Park on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10:00 am til 2:00 pm. The community is invited to come out for a celebration of South Walton area coastal dune lakes on the shores of Western Lake in Grayton Beach. The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance will have a booth full of information about how to protect the dune lakes, as well as a few tanks of native dune lake marine life.

The South Walton Run/SUP Series 2017 takes place on Saturday, September 30 from 7:45 am til 1:00 pm at Grayton Beach State Park! Entering it's third year with a huge surge in popularity, Run/SUP is the perfect sports competition for our area combining a scenic beach and dune run with a stand-up paddle across beautiful Western Lake. Registration is open online.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is one of South Walton's jewels. The park is on the western end of Scenic 30A where it meets Hwy 98, encompassing two coastal dune lakes and three miles of beautiful beach.